Michael Owen vs Jamie Vardy

[RedRonaldo]

When was the last time England has ever produced Ballon D’or winner? Think about it.

 

[The Siege]

Does Vardy have a brochure for us to compare him with Owen? I don't think it's a fair call otherwise.

 

[Bulldog United]

When was the last time England has ever produced Ballon D’or winner? Think about it.

Yes, Owen looked like he belonged among the elite at International level while playing at his peak. For Vardy, it always looked a step too far.

Vardy has maximised his abilities and has been a phenomenal Premier League player who helped Leicester achieve the unbelievable. For that, he will never be forgotten. Owen was a better player, but injuries and playing surrounded by the Liverpool spice boys meant he underachieved somewhat - despite his stint in Spain with Real Madrid.

 

[Sleigh]

I wouldn’t say Vardy didn’t take to international football. 7 goals in 26 games, largely as a substitute. As a Leicester fan, it was frustrating to watch the likes of Deli Alli not pass to him in games.

As people have said though. Michael Owen has won a Ballon Dor. The highest Jamie Vardy has finished is 8th.

 

[shamans]

Owen was a proper world class strike. He was levels above vardy, until of course his injuries hit him and hit him hard.

Vardy is an incredible striker but benefits a lot from the leicester setup he has.

You can't just compare stats without context either. Like someone else said you don't play for the clubs owen did without being class.

 

[shamans]

as players it goes
1) Ole
2) Owen
3) Vardy

As managers you can probably reverse that list

At everyone's peak there is no way ole was a better finisher than owen.

 

[groovyalbert]

Owen was truly world class in his prime. We should have won the world cup in 2002 with owen and the team we had. Vardy is a very good player but not world class at the highest level.

Huh? The team that boasted Mills, Sinclair, Butt and Heskey in its starting line-up? That was better than modern day prime Brazil?

On the Owen-Vardy chat, Owen was way more exciting and impressive when he broke through. But that was pushed further by his age and club. A lot of his hype was around what he could go on to achieve.

Conversely, Vardy's hype is tied up in his rags to riches career story. He epitomizes Leicester's underdog successes.

Ultimately - Owen's prime beats Vardy's, but Vardy's has stretched way beyond that of Owen's.

 

[Charlie Foley]

I’d say the same thing instinctively but taking the stats into account there’s not as much in it as you’d think. If Vardy had been at his 2015- level early in his career he would almost certainly have gotten a move to a big club and could have smashed goalscoring record.

Owen up until his first major hamstring injury was the closest thing to Ronaldo in those days. Owen of 1999-2005 was a great goalscorer but I’m not sure he was a level above peak Vardy.

How many of Owens goals came after injuries ruined him? How many extra games did he play then? I’m too lazy to count it but That distorts his stats surely.

 

[NasirTimothy]

Be my guest and suggest many better finishers than Michael Owen? Also dont embarass yourself using a goals to game ratio because it justifies 3/5 of feck all.

Let me get this straight: you think Michael Owen is one of the greatest finishers, not in PL history or from England in the last 20 years, but of all time anywhere? Really?

Also, why would goals per game ratio not matter at all in your view in the assessment of who is and isn’t a great finisher? If a player can’t even manage a 1 in 2 record or a 20 goal season in their English league career, that means nothing to you?

 

[tomaldinho1]

Taking purely about finishing, Owen was excellent but I don't think there's that much between them. Owen over that 2 year spell early in his career was probably top 5 strikers in the world but Vardy has now been elite level, albeit probably not in that world class bracket, since 15/16 and you have to factor in Leicester weren't even a top 6 club back then.

 

[Steve Bruce]

Fowler was a better finisher than both imo

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Yes, Owen looked like he belonged among the elite at International level while playing at his peak. For Vardy, it always looked a step too far.

Vardy has maximised his abilities and has been a phenomenal Premier League player who helped Leicester achieve the unbelievable. For that, he will never be forgotten. Owen was a better player, but injuries and playing surrounded by the Liverpool spice boys meant he underachieved somewhat - despite his stint in Spain with Real Madrid.

it is a really difficult comparison, especially when you compare the clubs, the exposure and the level of games they both played.

Owen was brilliant when he burst onto the scene, he plateaued somewhat, even before the injuries hit - and it’s difficult not to get carried away when someone plays The way he did at such a young ago - you expect/ hope there’s a linear progression, and there wasn’t.

first half of his career sensational, second half was a waste of time.

Vardy is a proper rags to riches story.

First half of his career was unremarkable, then we all know what happened.

Owen was pretty much finished at the same age Vardy started to make an impact.

Owen was clearly the more talented player, and achieved more - but would understandably feel unfulfilled.

Vardy made the most of his career.

if United had bought Vardy 5 years ago, I think he would have been remembered as a world class striker. That’s not meant to be arrogant as a United fan, but he would have had the platform, in the same way Dwight Yorke did, and done as well (on an individual level).

 

[mark clatternburg]

At everyone's peak there is no way ole was a better finisher than owen.

He was a proffesional substitute!

 

[mariachi-19]

Let me get this straight: you think Michael Owen is one of the greatest finishers, not in PL history or from England in the last 20 years, but of all time anywhere? Really?

Also, why would goals per game ratio not matter at all in your view in the assessment of who is and isn’t a great finisher? If a player can’t even manage a 1 in 2 record or a 20 goal season in their English league career, that means nothing to you?

Because its far easier to score in an all dominate team than one that was teetering between 7 and 4. Also factor in that in the modern age, the quality of players around even average strikers is far better than 20 years ago.

 

[NasirTimothy]

Because its far easier to score in an all dominate team than one that was teetering between 7 and 4. Also factor in that in the modern age, the quality of players around even average strikers is far better than 20 years ago.

He played for Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid, 3 of the biggest clubs in the world. Had numerous top class teammates. Not really sure what you are talking about here. You said he’s one of the greatest finishers in world football history, I’m telling you that is not even close to being correct

 

[mariachi-19]

He played for Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid, 3 of the biggest clubs in the world. Had numerous top class teammates. Not really sure what you are talking about here. You said he’s one of the greatest finishers in world football history, I’m telling you that is not even close to being correct

A borderline shit Liverpool side, a Madrid side he was actually rather good in when they played him and was only there for one year and a Manchester United side he was back up in.

Context is everything and you don’t seem to have a clue what you’re talking about. I’m still waiting for the list of better finishers in the premier league? I mean it’s not hard to google list of top premier league finishers, it’s just that most of them have his name in them...

 

[NasirTimothy]

A borderline shit Liverpool side, a Madrid side he was actually rather good in when they played him and was only there for one year and a Manchester United side he was back up in.

Context is everything and you don’t seem to have a clue what you’re talking about. I’m still waiting for the list of better finishers in the premier league? I mean it’s not hard to google list of top premier league finishers, it’s just that most of them have his name in them...

But you didn’t say ‘in the premier league’. And this is the first time you’ve actually restricted it to ‘premier league’ despite several chances to define terms in that way. You said he’s one of the best finishers of all time in any league. That’s what you said.

Even if you want to move the goalposts by pretending to claim that you meant only the premier league, there was another response to your post which listed some of the arguably better strikers and finishers that have played in the premier league, so I felt no need to repeat it. There’s been a few.

Moreover, no idea where you came up with the nonsense that he played in a ‘borderline shit’ Liverpool side, as if that team was Stoke level. I suspect that you might be the one who doesn’t know what he’s talking about here......